You've Stolen My Heart
by katiee136
Summary: a short Loki/Darcy (TaserTricks) fic that may or may not get way huge way fast -u- please enjoyy. As I rushed down the street, past bustling shops and shoppers alike, I wondered just how I'd let Jane talk me into this ridiculousness. (Disclaimer: I don't own Thor or any of it's characters, i'm just borrowing them c:)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello darlings :) this is the first fic i've ever posted on here, so please treat me gently -u- anyhoo, the M rating is because of language (for now. just wait lovelies, its gonna get hardcore romantic. eventually.) i've also only recently become a shipper of TaserTricks, so forgive me for any mistakes and/or blatant OOCness. alright, i'll let you start then. enjoy c:**

Chapter Oone

As I rushed down the street, past bustling shops and shoppers alike, I wondered just how I'd let Jane talk me into this ridiculousness.

"Aw come on, Darcy. It'll only take like ten minutes tops. I promise." Jane had told me just a few days ago. Apparently Jane's ultra-built boyfriend's brother was coming into town, and needed someone to take some photos of him. Jane had immediately suggested me, knowing that I was always up for taking on paid jobs. When I had pressed for more information, Jane merely shrugged and proceeded to (subconsciously) brag about Thor. Unsurprisingly, I had completely spaced on asking about a time before saying I'd do it, and thus I've landed in this predicament. Here I am, rushing to be on time for an appointment that some idiot of a man had decided to make at _seven am_. If that's not cruel and unusual punishment, I don't know what is.

I barely make it through the doors as the clock strikes seven, which I'm only aware of because of the obnoxiously large clock on the wall opposite from the door. "Seriously? Who even needs a clock that big…" I mutter to myself as I shrug off my jacket and hang it on the wrought-iron coat hanger. Having geared myself up for an unpleasant morning since realizing how early my client had decided to meet – because let's be serious, anyone who wakes up this early _on purpose_ couldn't be anything but evil – I was already in a bit of a mood. When I heard footsteps behind me, I immediately whirled around, ready to give him a piece of my mind. However, the second I saw him my mouth abruptly sewed itself shut.

He stood about halfway down a short flight of stairs, and was steadily advancing. His hair was stark black and flowed in gentle tresses to his shoulders; I silently cursed myself for the constant thought-barrage of how badly I wanted to run my fingers through it. As he got closer, I noticed that his shirt – which fit him _deliciously_ well, tightly hugging each and every sculpted muscle – matched his eyes perfectly. Both were a rich emerald green, and combined with the sharp cheekbones and slight smirk gracing his lips, I found myself riveted in place. Almost as if he had read my mind, the man chuckled lightly. He extended a hand and after a beat or two, I returned the gesture, having been slightly taken aback at the fact that he was suddenly right in front of me. I unconsciously inhaled, and discovered that _holy shit the fucker smells great too, this is such bullshit_. He cocked his head slightly, and I realized he must have been trying to say something. "Sorry, what?" The chuckle was back. "I was just trying to ask if you were ready to start." He said, mirth glinting in his eyes. Blushing slightly, I nodded. "The room with the best lighting's this way." _Come on, Darcy,_ I thought to myself, _get your shit together and get out. Don't forget what happened last time you tried to hook up with a client. Plus, this guy's way out of your league any- oh SHIT WHY THE FUCK DID HE HAVE TO TURN AROUND oh god I'm pretty sure his ass was sent straight from heaven, hot damn. I wonder if he works out- damnit Darcy. Stop. Get a hold of yourself. _Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself and headed out after- wait, the guy still hadn't given me his name.

"Think I could I get your name, stranger?" I asked, mentally patting myself on the back for playing it so cool. He looked over his shoulder at me and said "Loki" with a smirk. He must've caught on to my surprise, as he was quick to add on "My mom was always a big fan of Norse myths. I figured you'd know that, especially since Thor has a name like… Thor." "I- I uh, yeah. I knew that. Loki's just a… really weird name." I was lying. Loki was a fucking bad ass name. And it totally fit him too, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the man actually were a god. His looks and demeanor were a deadly combination that resulted in pure god-like sex appeal that _I thought we agreed to stop this Darcy, pull yourself together_. I was fairly sure he somehow read my mind then too, as he let out yet another deep chuckle. Speaking of deep, I swear to god… that voice was pure sex. Smoky and smooth and-"Darcy? You alright?" Damnit. I had been spacing out again. "Yeah, sorry, I'm cool. Let's do this." After asking a few preliminary questions, I realized that the photos were merely for personal use, so I decided to keep his poses casual. I started him off in his armchair across from his window so I could take advantage of the natural light. As I set up my equipment, I let my mind wander. What kind of job did Loki have? It must be fairly well-paying, as his apartment was lavish to say the least. The whole layout was quite modern, furnished black and white, with plenty of windowed walls and ceiling beams. It was all quite overwhelming, and I couldn't help noticing how it only added to his appeal. I cursed lightly under my breath, shaking my head at myself for what was probably the tenth time that morning.

Loki was remarkably easy to work with. Of course it didn't hurt that he was quite possibly the most gorgeous human being I'd ever seen. He easily shifted into each position I requested of him, and I got countless excellent shots. The whole shoot was over fairly quickly. I'd always had a problem with getting way absorbed in my photography once I started, and that didn't allow much small talk or distractions. I began to pack up my kit, and Loki stretched his arms above his head, reminding me of a satisfied cat. More like a satisfied fox. And what a fox he was. Mm… _god damnit Darcy shut the fuck_- "I think that went quite well. I'd have to say, you were remarkably efficient." Loki startled me out of my thoughts with his comment, and I fumbled for a moment before replying. "Thanks, I guess." I tried not to blush horribly at his praise. Needless to say, I failed. "I got plenty of good shots, so I'll head home and start editing them. In a few days I'll call you and we can meet back up so you can choose which ones you like best, as well as print size. Is that cool with you?" _Nailed it._ Loki seemed contemplative for a split second, but was quick to answer "Of course. I look forward to seeing you again, Darcy." _Oh shit oh fuck can you please just say my name again? But say it naked, in my bed. Or in my kitchen. Or on the floor._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: hello again! this chapter is much longer than the first one, which makes me happy c: i feel like Loki is drifting further and further into being OOC, but oh well. as always, any suggestions are very much welcomed, and i hope you enjoy this chapter ^u^**

Chapter Twoo

I wasn't too surprised when I found myself unable to focus on anything but Loki's perfect ass muscles when I got home. Because of this, I had just resigned myself to an evening of unproductivity and useless pining when Jane called. "Hey yo. What's up?" I asked around a mouthful of Rocky Road. "Hey Darce! I just wanted to ask you how your photo shoot with Loki went." She said, her voice clearly hiding undertones of… something. Oh well. I'd overanalyze that later. "It went pretty well. Loki is basically the sexiest fucker I've ever seen – which I'm sure you already knew – so that's happening. He also takes ridiculously good photographs, and also I really would like him to fuck me into next week."

Jane's laughter sounded uncomfortably loud and tinny through my phone's shitty speaker, and I had to pull the phone away from my ear for a second. "Yeah, I kind of had a feeling you'd react that way. I personally find him a little off-putting, but I've got Thor anyway so that's probably for the best." I sighed slightly, anticipating yet another "Oh my god Thor is the sexiest man on the face of the planet" speech. "Anyway, I'm glad you feel that way. I guess he's been single for a while now, and Thor's been trying to set him up with someone pretty unsuccessfully." _Well, well, well. This is a pleasant turn of events. And by pleasant I mean holy SHIT AMAZING YES OH MY GOD HE'S SINGLE? I mean my chances of getting in his pants are probably lower than the bottom of the ocean but hey. I take what I can get._

"So I figured maybe if you two hit it off, I can get Thor to encourage Loki to make a move." I took a few calming breaths before answering, not wanting to come off as desperate. "Yeah I mean you know whatever it's up to you. Well, really it's up to Thor. But yeah I'm cool either way you feel I'm all about being casual and nonchalant because that's just me this is me this is REAL THIS IS ME IM EXACTLY WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO BEE NOW, GONNA LET THE LIGHT. SHIIINE ON ME." So maybe I've seen Camp Rock sixteen times. Sue me. Jane chuckled a bit more before responding with "Okay, whatever you say Darce." We chatted amicably for a few more minutes before she hung up, presumably to go caress Thor's glorious pectoral muscles or something. Whatever.

It was another three days before I was able to finish editing the best photos of Loki, but that was mostly because there were just _so many _perfect ones. I swear to god, this man was flawless. However, I couldn't just show up with several dozen options for him to choose from, so I forced myself to narrow it down to ten. And if I didn't actually delete any of them, just moved them to my secret lust folder, well who's to know. After a quick confirmation-of-meeting-type phone call with Loki that did most certainly not turn my stomach to goo, I hailed a cab to his apartment. I had to force myself not to skip down the hall to his door, reminding myself that Loki probably wouldn't be into a Mary Poppins wannabe. After a few quick knocks, the door opened to quite possibly the most beautiful sight I'd ever laid my eyes upon.

The fucker was wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. His skin was a lovely shade of alabaster, and his Cimmerian hair was still quite damp. Rivulets of water ran down his toned chest, forming a trail that lead down to the beginning of what I already knew was probably the most glorious male genitalia to ever have graced this earth. _Oh dear, sweet, baby Jesus... are you trying to get me to molest this man? Because I am so fucking tempted right now, all I want to do is just lick that water off his skin. Right in the hallway. Fuck. _

His lips quirked into a familiar smirk, and his eyes danced. "Sorry for my lack of clothing, you called me right as I was stepping into the shower." _Shit that means he was naked when I called him. Oh god oh shit fucking piss what the fuck is this._ "I didn't think you'd get here so soon. Would you mind waiting for me in the living room while I put something more… substantial on?" _The only thing I mind is that you're covering up that fuckable body, sir._ "No, no. Of course not. I'll uh, just get the pictures out and ready." He stepped aside slightly to let me in, though not so far that I didn't brush his bare chest with my arm. Said arm then proceeded to tingle like a bitch. _I am so fucked_.

By the time Loki reemerged from what I assumed was his bedroom – wearing jeans that left nothing to the imagination and an ebony shirt that clung just as well as the one he wore the day I met him – I had laid out all ten photos on his coffee table. I couldn't help but ogle slightly at his tousled appearance as he approached, but forced myself to stop when he got close. "So, what do you think?" I asked hesitantly, nervously awaiting his approval. For a few horrifying moments he was completely silent, leaning over the table and examining each photo in detail. After what seemed like an eternity, he turned towards me _oh shit his face is way too fucking close_ and said, "They're wonderful, Darcy." And so help me god, when he said it, he _smiled_. An honest to god genuine smile that, though a little small, still made his eyes crinkle a little bit and made my heart leap twenty stories off of a figurative building.

A second passed in which I just stared into the depths of his eyes, but I quickly regained what little sense of professionalism I had left and said "Thank you, I'm so glad you like 'em. Now all we've gotta do is decide which ones you like the most, and how big you want them to be." I added a little smile of my own after saying it, and I could've sworn I saw a flicker of fondness in his eyes afterwards. _Damn you, wishful thinking_. He pulled back from me slightly and nodded. Though I was disappointed at the loss of closeness, he repositioned himself on the couch and motioned for me to join him. I sat down a bit closer than anticipated, ending up in our shoulders, arms, and knees brushing together, but he didn't complain so I didn't move.

We spent close to half an hour discussing, and I was quite reluctant to leave by the end of it. A lot of that definitely had to do with his body of course, but after talking with him for so long I fully realized that his personality was just as alluring. Just as I readied myself to leave, he smoothly asked me "Would you like to stay a bit longer, Darcy? I'd love to continue conversing." No, my heart certainly did not just spontaneously Irish river dance behind my ribcage, I just had a hiccup. "Yeah, I guess I could probably stay. I don't have anything else going on today." Loki's lips upturned slightly at that, and he stood up. "I'm going to fetch myself some tea, would you like any?" I nodded with a small smile, and he disappeared into the kitchen.

As he busied himself with brewing, I took it upon myself to quell my curiosity regarding his home and belongings. Okay, so I was snooping. But I just wanted to make sure I wasn't trying to nail (and possibly marry but hey we're taking it slow) a murderer or anything. I slowly walked through the living room, admiring the paintings on the wall. A few of them in particular seemed familiar to me, though I couldn't quite place why. Regardless, they were all quite beautiful. _Good taste in art, check._ The few coats I spotted on his coat rack – though I had never actually seen him wear them – were undoubtedly quite flattering. _Sexy jackets, check_. I rifled through a few dresser drawers, though none that looked anything remotely close to private. Though that probably wouldn't have been the case had I made it anywhere near his bedroom. And, consequently, his underwear drawer. _Darcy's a big perv for Loki, check infinity. _

Just as I was closing a drawer full of art museum brochures, I heard Loki coming in from the kitchen and quickly leaped back to the couch. "I hope you don't mind English." _I certainly don't mind your sexy English lilt. _"Nah, I'm all about English." I eagerly curled my hands around the steaming mug he handed me, drawing my knees up and getting comfortable. "So, Loki. Tell me something about yourself." I asked, taking a cautionary sip of my tea. _Figures it'd taste perfect. Damn you, green-eyed sex god. _

He smirked – _god damn that smirk_ – and said, "I'm not sure there's much I could tell you that you haven't already heard from Thor or merely inferred on your own." I quirked an eyebrow at him, taking another drink of tea. "You could at least tell me where you work. I mean come on, you are ridiculously well-off." Loki merely raised an eyebrow back at me in response, prompting me to question him further. "A banker, maybe? No, I couldn't see you as a banker." _It'd be a waste to hide a body like that under a suit, anyway. Wait, no. If the suit fit him right, then I would be all over that. And under it. _"Umm, a doctor. A surgeon. I dunno, a mafia member?"

He seemed to be having a bit of trouble controlling himself at that point, and though I tried to keep my expression in a pout I could feel my own laughter bubbling up. "Come on, Loki. Spit it out. I think it's pretty clear that you're a hardcore drug dealer, but I still need verbal confirmation from you before I can admit you to a rehab center." At this point Loki had put a hand over his mouth, and his body was shaking ever so slightly. After seeing him behave so stoicly and perfectly and _sexily_ (come on Darcy stay focused) the past few days, this much of a reaction cause a bit of pride to swell in my chest. Plus, he looked fucking adorable when he thought something was funny.

We chatted for a while after that, though he cleverly evaded any questions regarding his career and more recent personal developments. Normally I would've been suspicious, but I ended up hearing a plethora of embarrassing Thor stories that I couldn't wait to hold over Jane's head, which made up for the lack of information. It was actually really nice hearing him talk about Thor, cause his voice and eyes just got filled with so much cute that I nearly couldn't breathe. I was a bit wistful as I left, though I suspected his sharp-enough-to-maim-a-man cheekbones had a lot to do with that.

I had only been waiting outside for a couple moments when a cab showed up, and I fist bumped the sky a little bit at my good fortune. As I settled into the backseat, my phone squawked at me. Flipping it open, I saw that Loki had texted me, saying "I called a cab for you, hope you didn't have to wait long. See you in a few days." As soon as I read it, I let out a little squee, clutched my phone to my chest, and sank back into the seat doing the best happy dance I could in the restricted space. _For a cool, sassy fuck, he's surprisingly_ _precious_. I thought to myself, closing my eyes and sighing softly.


	3. Chapter 3

I was pissed. Like, super-god-damn-mega-ultra-pissed-as-shit pissed. Loki hadn't called me for _eight god damn days_. I know it's not like we're dating or anything, but still. He's my client. He should have enough common fuckin courtesy to at least keep me in the loop. That and I'm pretty sure I was going into Loki withdrawal. It's been far too long since I've seen those abs, that face, that _ass. _Sweet baby jesus,I miss that ass. _Dear god, Darcy. You need help_.

Three hours and eight pints of Cherry Garcia later, Jane called. "Hey, Darce. How've you been?" I let out a pitiful groan in response, which was mostly muffled by frozen deliciousness. Jane chuckled at that, so I continued. "Jane, Loki hasn't called me for a whole week and I'm pretty sure I'm dying. Write me a beautiful eulogy. Also bury me with Loki's underwear. Unwashed." Jane was full-on laughing at me now, so I scowled at her even though she couldn't see me. "Wow Darcy, I knew you were pining over this guy, but _wow_. Why don't you just call him?"

I had asked myself that same question at least a hundred times in the past few days, but didn't have a really great answer. "Um… independence? Or something? I dunno Jane, stop asking me questions. I'm too busy wallowing in my depression to answer them." I could practically hear her shaking her head. _Fuck you Jane, just because you got to hook up with a fine piece of ass doesn't mean everyone else can. _"Just call him, Darce. Stop being a baby." Of course, being the mature adult I am, I responded to that by snapping my phone shut and throwing it across the room.

The next day had been going fairly similar to the one before it, and I had been on my second rewatch of _Love Actually_ when I heard a knock at my door. Being fairly positive that it was Jane, here to bully me into behaving rationally, I made no effort to improve my appearance or erase the scowl on my face. So I was fairly ready to jump out of my window when I opened the door to the green-eyed sex god that had been haunting my dreams for the past couple weeks. I let out a slightly strangled noise, which only widened his ever-present smirk. "Trying out homeless-chic, are we?" He said, obviously alluding to my pajama pants, ruffled t-shirt, and un-brushed hair. "I've got to say, I really do prefer your usual style." I laughed a little at that, and motioned for him to come in. Still rather flustered, I barely managed to tell him to sit at the table and wait a moment before I bolted to my bedroom.

It only took me about five minutes to change and throw on some makeup – a fact that actually made me quite proud – but it was still too long to wait before seeing that gorgeous body again. _Jesus woman, at least _try_ to keep it in your pants._ I thought to myself as I speed-walked back to the kitchen. The sight of Loki lounging casually at my table, turning my cow-shaped salt shaker around in his hands, nearly made my heart stop. I managed to keep it however though, and said, "So how did you find my place? You stalking me or something?" He didn't look the least bit surprised that I was suddenly in the kitchen, and casually responded with "Thor gave it to me. Though that is an entertaining notion," glancing up at me as he said the last few words.

Not trusting myself enough to refrain from jumping him, I quickly sat down in a chair and sat on my hands. "Ah, gotcha. Well why are you here?" He put down the salt shaker and turned towards me before responding. "I wanted to apologize for my lack of correspondence. I was out of town on business," his lips quirked slightly at these words, "and was unable to spare a moment to call you. I hope I didn't inconvenience you in anyway." Though my initial plan was to play it cool and make sure to avoid sounding desperate, that all flew out the window when I heard his loin-fire-inducing voice apologize so sincerely to me. "No, it wasn't a problem. I totally understand. If you want, we could just head over to your place now and get the photos hung up." He looked slightly surprised at this. "You already got them printed?" I beamed a little at this, "Yep. I work pretty fast."

It wasn't too long of a drive from my place to Loki's, though I certainly wouldn't have minded spending more time with him in such close proximity. When we got to his room, I was quick to take out the photos. Luckily he already had frames for them, so they hadn't been too difficult to bring over. He thankfully seemed pretty pleased with them. "The first couple I want in the living room and family room, and the last will go in my bedroom." _Holy shit, this is happening. I get to see Loki's bedroom oh my god holy fUCK maybe it'll be just like in the movies and he'll throw me down onto his bed and fuck me til I can't breathe. Okay, maybe less like the movies and more like straight up porn. Either way, it'll be great. Great like his ass. And his laugh. _"You coming, Darcy?"

Hanging up the first two photos went by relatively quickly, though that was probably due to the fact that all I could think about was going into Loki's bedroom and smelling all of his t-shirts. I wasn't surprised when his room turned out to be as beautiful as the rest of his place. A king sized bed with an emerald comforter sat against the center of the far wall, adorned with gold pillows. The dresser, bedside table, and other small accoutrements perfectly accented the bed and were placed strategically around the room. His closet doors were closed, but I assumed it was fairly spacious, as well as his bathroom.

"I'm actually not entirely sure where to put this one. I figured you might help give me some input." I nodded, smiling at the prospect of being useful. I span in a small circle, making sure to take in every aspect of the room before deciding. "I think it'd look pretty good on this wall," I said, walking over to the spot in question, "since it seems a bit bare in comparison to all the others. He stood for a moment, seemingly thinking it over, before nodding and saying, "Yes, I think so as well. Thank you, Darcy."

Right after we had put it up, Loki sat on the edge of his bed, which I took as an invitation to do the same. _Come on, Loki. Just do it. You know you want to. We're already on the bed, just make your move. _"You must think it very egotistical of me to have this many self-portraits around myself." He said, looking slightly wistful as he did. I wasn't used to seeing him bear such an expression, so I snapped to attention. "Not particularly. Though it is a bit surprising that there aren't any pictures of your family." He chuckles darkly at that. "Though my family and I used to be fairly close, an admission of a certain truth a few years ago made relations a bit… strained, to say the least. Only recently have Thor and I begun to reconnect."

Though his voice remained steady as he said this, I could see his complacent expression falter slightly. On impulse I reached out and took one of his hands in my own. He regarded me with a curious expression, but didn't pull away. "I'm sorry, Loki. Family drama is pretty shitty. Though I'm glad you and Thor are doing better." I added on with a small smile. He chuckled lightly at my words, and gave my hand the smallest of squeezes. "Thank you for your concern, Darcy. I'm quite alright however." He took his hand back. "Would you like to continue our conversation downstairs, perhaps? It is quite unseemly for a woman to remain for so long with a man in his bedroom." He said with a minute leer, standing up and extending a hand. I was actually quite content to remain on his fantastic bed, especially if he was going to keep throwing innuendos at me that nearly made my knees buckle, I nodded and accepted his help up.

As we were walking out of his bedroom, I noticed a painting on his wall that I hadn't really taken in before. It took me a moment to place, but when I did I grinned. "This is a Nicolai Arbo print, right?" I asked. "Good eye," he said, "But it's not a print." I whirled to face him. "Wait, this is the _actual painting_?" I said, amazed. He nodded, looking amused at my reaction. I reached out and traced my fingers delicately along the frame. "How did you get this?" I muttered. He merely laughed and shook his head, inclining it towards the door. "Shall we?"

After we had settled down with some tea, I questioned Loki a little bit about his childhood. "Well, when Thor and I were younger, we used to wreak all sorts of havoc." He said, smiling. "There was this one day when my mother and father had gone out of town, and we decided it would be a great idea to try and jump off the roof and fly. Thor was a lot more enthusiastic about the idea than I was, so I didn't see the harm in… helping him off." I nearly choked on my tea from laughing, and Loki let out a small chuckle as well. "Yes, in retrospect it was quite an ill-advised idea. Our parents came home to the sight of Thor lying in the backyard with a broken arm, and me sitting on the roof laughing harder than I ever had. It was weeks before we were left unsupervised again." He smiled fondly at the memory, and I couldn't help wanting to kiss the smile off his face.

When it was time for me to leave, Loki reached into his wallet and produced a sizeable wad of cash. "Payment for your services. You most certainly deserve it." I took it from his hands, blushing when his hands grazed my own. " S'no problem." I muttered. He walked me to the door, but just as I was walking out, he grabbed my wrist. I turned back to face him, and found him looking at the floor. "I was talking to my brother this morning, and he advised me it would be highly idiotic of me to not… invite you out to dinner. Or whatever else you'd prefer." My heart leapt out of my chest and started doing the electric slide, and I'm fairly sure my eyebrows raised all the way to my hairline. "Are you serious? This isn't some prank, is it? Cause I know that your namesake is the god of mischief and all but this is going a bit too-" I was abruptly cut off when Loki's lips brushed over mine.

"Is that enough reassurance for you?" He said with a smirk, though I was fairly certain I saw the faintest of blushes across his cheeks. I stuttered out, "Yeah, I guess so. Yes. Yeah. So when do you wanna…?" All the while thinking something along the lines of SHITSHITSHITSHITOHMYSHIT. He thought about it for a moment, and replied with, "How about this Friday night, around seven? I'll pick you up at your place." I immediately nodded, and his smirk only grew. "Perfect. I'll see you then, Darcy." As soon as he shut the door, I broke into the happiest happy dance anyone's ever seen. _THIS IS HAPPENING! Oh god I've gotta call Jane, she better be damn excited. Shit, this is probably the best thing to happen in the history of my everything. One step closer to getting that gorgeous fuck to fucking me. _

This time I wasn't the least bit surprised when a taxi appeared right as I left Loki's building.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Foour

This time I only had to wait three days before Loki called me. It was on Sunday morning, and I had been sitting in the bathroom, styling and re-styling my hair (though I still had several hours before our date). I almost didn't grab the phone in time, but when I recognized the "Sexy Back" ringtone, I made an effort to leap across the room before the final ring. "Hey, Loki. What's up?" He must've noticed how breathless I sounded, and his snickered a little before answering. "Just confirming that you're still wanting to go out tonight." _Is that even a question? God, for a smart, sexy, perfect human being you're a little dumb._ "Totally. Though I do have on question." He prompted, "Go on." "Right yes so. Where exactly are where we going? I mean, I'm all for surprises, I just don't know what to wear." I said. "Ah, I see. Well I'm 'all for surprises' as well, so just make sure to dress semi-formal. Nothing too different from your usual attire." I nodded quickly, then replied with "Alright, thanks Loki." when I realized he couldn't see me. "It's not a problem. I'll see you at seven."

By the time six fifty-five came around, I was a nervous wreck. I had probably called Jane at least sixteen times to confirm that my outfit was alright, but her reassurances weren't helping much. With a groan, I flopped backwards onto my bed. _Shit. How in the hell am I supposed to look anything other than plain next to that gorgeous fucker? God damnit_. The doorbell rang. I jumped up and ran to the mirror, making sure my bed-flopping hadn't fucked up my hair or anything. Feeling as satisfied as I could, I flattened down my skirt with my hands and flounced down the stairs and pulled open the door.

Loki was standing at my door with a bouquet of white lotuses, looking positively _eadible_ in a navy blue Henley shirt and dark jeans. His eyes skimmed down my belted, cinched-waist, sleveless dress that I had went out and bought just for this evening. The blacks, reds, and hints of white and tan accented my eyes and hair excellently. If I was worried before, that completely melted away when I saw the spark of admiration in his eyes. "You look quite ravishing, Darcy." He purred, still drinking in my outfit. I felt my face heat up, and quickly offered to take the flowers and put them in a vase. The moment I was back, he extended a hand and beckoned me away.

We ended up walking to our destination, and the fact that he held my hand the entire way did nothing to soothe my nerves. _Fuck I hope I don't fuck up. What if I fuck up? What if I fuck up and Loki decides not to fuck me? Like ever? Oh shit that would be fuckin awful. Fuck. _"So you and Thor still doing well?" I implored. He turned and smiled down at me. "Yes, Darcy. Thor and I are fine. He actually called me this morning." I cocked my head slightly, wordlessly asking him to elaborate. "He wanted to instruct me that if I hurt a single hair on your head, he would 'tear me limb from limb and then light my disembodied corpse on fire'."

I laughed pretty hard at that, and he turned inquisitive eyes on me. "Oh sorry, I'm not laughing at the prospect of you dying. That would be a _damn_ shame, trust me. I'm just laughing at the whole 'big brother' thing Thor's got with me." He still looked a bit lost, so I kept going. "You see, once he started dating Jane, Thor started to get a little protective of not only her, but her friends as well. And since I'm Jane's closest friend, it's kind of evolved into him morphing from golden retriever to un-trained rottweiler whenever my well-being is threatened. It's adorable, really." Loki seemed oddly silent after that, so I let the conversation drop as we continued walking.

When we reached our destination, I laughed a bit at myself for not guessing it earlier. It was an art museum that had just opened up a few weeks ago. I had been dying to visit, but hadn't found the time, what with the whole Loki-is-life thought track my mind had been on recently. I sequeezed his hand and grinned up at him, ecstatic. He smiled tightly back at me, and my thought immediately launched into _dARCY WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO YOU FUCKING IDIOT GOD DAMNIT FIX YOUR MISTAKE U LITTLE SHIT_. I turned my puppy dog eyes on full force and looked into his. "Are you alright, Loki?" He waited until after he handed in our tickets to answer. "Yes, Darcy. I just… don't really feel like spending an evening with a woman who's interested in my brother."

It took me about five minutes to stop gut laughing at his I was finished, he had this adorable kicked-puppy look on his face. "Loki, you've gotta have a severely skewed view of yourself if you think I could find anyone other than you even remotely attractive since meeting you. Sure, Thor is handsome, but I referred to him as a puppy dog for a reason. He really is like a brother to me. Trust me, you couldn't get me to be interested in anyone but you if I tried, least of all Thor." He seemed placated by my words, and adorably flustered, so I took his hand and lead us into the nearest exhibit.

The first exhibit turned out to be impressionist artists, which made me infeasibly happy. "Loki, look, it's _The Boulevard Montmartre at Night_! Oh god, is that… Loki I'm pretty sure that's a Degas. _Loki I fucking love Degas_. This place is incredible!" The other patrons seemed quite scandalized at my rambling, but Loki merely twitched his lips and gave my hand a fond squeeze. "I was hoping you'd like it. I've been wanting to take you since you recognized _Odin's Wild Hunt_ in my bedroom." I beamed at him for what had to be the tenth time that night, and he surprised me by leaning down and pressing his lips against mine, turning the grin into something much sweeter.

As we swept through the rest of the exhibits, I tried to remember if I'd ever been this happy before. Of course there were times that had certainly come close, like the day I got accepted into the University of New Mexico, the day Jane and I moved to New York, the month I dated an Abercrombie model. But none of them had made me quite as happy as how I've felt since meeting Loki. _Calm down, Darcy. You're starting to sound a little too attached. Keep it in your pants, woman._ I thought, making a slight pout at my inner-voice.

When we left the museum, I felt like I was on cloud nine. Right before we had made our way to the exit, Loki stopped by the gift shop and came out with a print of _The Rehearsal_, which I had briefly mentioned was one of the first paintings I ever fell in love with. I had let out a tiny squeak and thrown my arms around him, kissing him soundly for a minute or so. Thankfully, he had seemed pleased by my public show of affection, and hadn't let go of my hand since then. He hailed a cab over, and we quickly got inside. Once seated, I had a thought. "You know, I'm a bit surprised you don't have your own personal chauffeur or something." I said with a giggle. "I do, he's just out sick tonight." He deadpanned, and for a moment I was a bit taken aback, but then he winked at me and I giggled once more.

We ended up eating at The Cheesecake Factory, which I hadn't been to in a while due to my low income. Dinner passed by pretty quickly, but dessert was the best part anyway. Watching Loki make foodgasm faces while eating a strawberry cheesecake was quite possibly the most amazing thing I'd seen all night. I was actually pretty sure he was doing it on purpose, though I wasn't complaining. _It should be illegal to make sounds like that in public. Woah, hey lady across the room, don't think I don't see you sneakin peeks at my property. Back the fuck off. _"You're a big fan of strawberry cheesecake, huh?" I said with a grin, leaning towards him a little. He cocked his head slightly, smirked, and offered me a bite from his fork. Looking pointedly at the aforementioned skank right before I did, I slowly closed my mouth around the cake, shutting my eyes as I did. When I finished the bite and opened them, I found Loki enrapturedly gazing at me, his eyes dark. Across the room, the skank dejetctedly looked away. _Killed two birds with one stone_, I thought, mentally pumping my fist. 

The night ended far too quickly for my liking. When we ended up at my apartment door, I found myself slightly wistful. I was pleased when he leaned in and gave me the third kiss of the night. It was just as perfect as the first two had been, though it was a bit less chaste – not that I was complaining in the least. Every time our lips met, it was like an explosion of color and sensation that left me reeling and haunted by the need for more. When we parted, even in the dim light I could tell that Loki's pupils were nearly eclipsing his jade irises. The sight of him, hair disheveled, clothes unkempt, made it nearly impossible to pull away. _But Darcy Lewis is no easy slut, as much as she'd really love to jump Loki Laufeyson's bones right now. _

I forced myself to let go of my death grip on the back of his shirt, and sank back slightly into my apartment. "Tonight was amazing Loki. Thank you so much. Seriously. I'm pretty sure you just topped every first date in history." His smirk returned with full force, and he leaned in once more to place a light kiss on my lips that sent my heart through the roof. _Damn, woman. Pull it together_. "I'm glad to hear it. Admittedly, I'm going to be out of town again for the next several days, but I'd love to continue this when I get back." I took no time in agreeing, and he looked contented with my excitement. Right before he left, he took my hand in his and kissed it gently. "Be well, Darcy."

The minute I closed the door behind me, I raced into my room and pulled out my cellphone. Jane, bless her soul, answered on the first ring. "Hey, Darce! How'd the first date go?" I wasted no time with launching into a story. "Oh, Jane. It was fantastic. I mean, I thought I'd been on great first dates before, but none of them even came close. He took me to that new art museum – he's an art nerd too, Jane. Its fantastic. And then we went to dinner and we kissed _three hole times_! I can't even handle how happy I am, Jane. It's gonna be so hard to wait til the third date before tappin that."

Jane and I spent the better part of an hour rehashing the details of my date, what certain things he said or did meant or didn't mean. It was so nice to finally have some cutesy stories of my own for once. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for gossiping about Thor, but sometimes I felt a little left behind. Now I just had to try my best not to scare Loki off, that way I don't have to deal with that again for a while.

It took me a while to fall asleep that night, as I couldn't stop trying to breathe in all of the leftover scent of Loki that still lingered on my skin. When I finally did succumb to exhaustion, the bliss of sleep was accompanied by sweet dreams of long fingers and soft lips.


End file.
